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Yosemite National Park

Yosemite Valley · United States of America

Background

World Heritage since
1984
Type of site
Natural
The Yosemite Grant
1864

Yosemite National Park lies in the heart of California. UNESCO says its hanging valleys, many waterfalls, cirque lakes, polished domes, moraines and U-shaped valleys give an excellent overview of every kind of granite relief fashioned by glaciation, with a great variety of flora and fauna between 600 and 4,000 m.

Wikipedia: the park covers 3,070 km2, almost 95 per cent of it wilderness, with granite cliffs, giant sequoia groves and glaciers; the Sierra Nevada was uplifted about 10 million years ago and glaciers cut the valley about a million years ago. Lincoln's Yosemite Grant of 1864 was the first time the federal government set aside scenic land, and John Muir's campaign made it a national park in 1890. Wikivoyage: most of the park's four million visitors crowd into the valley, about 1 per cent of its area.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 10 million years agoThe Sierra Nevada is uplifted and tilted
  2. 1 million years agoGlaciers carve the U-shaped Yosemite Valley
  3. 1851The Mariposa Battalion enters the valley and attacks the Ahwahneechee
  4. 1864Lincoln signs the Yosemite Grant, protecting the valley and Mariposa Grove
  5. 1890Yosemite becomes a national park after John Muir's campaign
  6. 1984Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Yosemite Valley
    Cliffs at impossible angles, waterfalls from a thousand feet up and the Merced River on the floor.
  2. 2
    The Waterfalls
    Strongest in spring; the Vernal Fall trail is Wikivoyage's short rewarding hike.
  3. 3
    Half Dome
    The climb by cables, open only in season, for the fit.
  4. 4
    Mariposa Grove
    Giant sequoias, protected with the valley since 1864.
  5. 5
    Tuolumne Meadows
    High country along Route 120, snow-free and in flower in summer.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Four Winding Entrances
Wikivoyage: Route 120 from the west is fastest from the Bay Area, Route 140 up the Merced canyon the most scenic and best in winter; there is no petrol in the valley.
Spring for Water, Autumn for Space
Waterfalls peak in spring, all roads open in summer, autumn is quieter, and winter closes much of the park.
Leave the Car in Summer
Traffic and parking are a problem in the valley; Wikivoyage suggests YARTS buses and the shuttle.
Check with Rangers
Snow and rockfall close trails in winter, and the Half Dome cables are only up in season.

The Valley in a Day

Not yet in a GoGo guide

  1. 08:00
    Yosemite Valley Loop3 hrs
    Wikivoyage's one-day plan: drive or shuttle around the valley floor.
  2. 11:30
    Vernal Fall Trail3 hrs
    The short, rewarding hike up beside the fall.
  3. 15:30
    Mariposa Grove2.5 hrs
    The giant sequoias at the south of the park.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Jun–Sep. Freezing days in Dec–Feb.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Dec (125 mm), driest Aug (6 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 308 · Wikipedia: Yosemite National Park · Wikivoyage: Yosemite National Park (CC BY-SA 4.0) · UNESCO listing